Illinois Grabs Ole Miss WR Zakhari Franklin From Transfer Portal

The Illinois Fighting Illini lost two of their top receivers to the NFL last season.

On Thursday night, they picked up a solid replacement. Ole Miss receiver Zakhari Franklin announced via Twitter that he has committed to the Fighting Illini. He could emerge as the top target for quarterback Luke Altmyer.

Last year he caught four passes for 38 yards and a touchdown. He was unable to recover from an early-season injury before falling out of the rotation. Before Oxford, Franklin was a standout at University of Texas-Antonio. He was one of the best receivers in Conference USA, compiling back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Franklin has one year of eligibility left.

FORMER ILLINI BASKETBALL CLEARED OF RAPE CHARGES

Former Illinois guard Terrence Shannon can now once again focus on basketball.

On Thursday, Shannon was found not guilty of rape charges, stemming from allegations last September in Lawrence, Kan. Shannon, who was an All-Big Ten selection last season, is projected as a first-round pick a few weeks from now in the NBA Draft.

Ex-Illini teammate Coleman Hawkins had much to say about the case being settled, sharing a heartfelt message on X.

“Not celebrating because I know who my guy is… imagine playing in front of sell out crowds with people saying the craziest things to you and you’re innocent,” Hawkins wrote. “Extremely proud of my guy to be able to block out all that noise and compete at an extremely high level.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com